A New Start
by black-rose495
Summary: Ivy Amell has hung up her Grey Warden uniform and moved to Kirkwall with Cullen to start a new life as a normal woman. But, will she be able to hide her abilities in a city full of Templars, and will she be able to live a normal life after being a Grey Warden for so long? [Paused while I finish 'A Warden's Dream']
1. Chapter 1

"I guess this is goodbye then."

"I guess so Alistair. Good luck. Don't fuck it up, okay?" joked Ivy, grinning at the King with tears in her eyes.

He smiled back, "I'll try my best." He hugged her fiercely, reluctant to let go of the mage. This was for the best. Even as Warden-Commander she hadn't been happy. He had seen it in her eyes when he had welcomed her to Amaranthine, the smile on her face not quite reaching her eyes. Maybe this was what she needed. A chance to get away from the life she had never chosen. A chance to start anew. A chance to live without the shackles of magic.

He would be happy for her, even if he did wish she had given his offer more thought. He loved her. He was willing to sacrifice himself for her, heck, he basically had by sleeping with Morrigan. And that was why he was letting her go. He had helped her clear the issue with the Grey Wardens and convinced them to transfer her to the Free Marches. After all, she had recruited so many new Wardens in Amaranthine, and they had they ritual for recruiting more, one less Warden hardly made a difference, even if she was their most experienced Grey Warden. They would survive without her. But…could he?

Alistair pushed the thoughts out of his mind and let go of Ivy, smiling sadly at her. "I'll miss you Ivy. Write to me when you get there."

"You know I will. Just don't be surprised when you get a letter from a mystery woman," she winked, waiting for him to realise she was talking about herself, his lips quirking up when he caught up. "Oh Alistair, I'm going to miss you." Ivy hugged him one final time before boarding the ship and joining Cullen on deck. He waved her off until his guards insisted they return inside promptly. He turned his back on the water and followed them, accepting that he would never see Ivy Amell again.

* * *

"Ser Cullen, the Knight-Commander has been expecting you. Though who is your companion? I don't have anything here about you having company." The guard flicked through a stack of papers, "I'm sure we can settle this inside. Come. Knight-Commander Meredith said to escort you to the Gallows as soon as you arrived."

"What of my companion?" asked Cullen. He did not want to leave Ivy alone, in Kirkwall of all places, but it seemed he may not have a choice.

The guard scratched his head and looked at the woman with the Templar. She was pretty, from what little of her he could see. She wore a large fur cloak which obscured her face, but she had large blue eyes which shone over the top of the fur and long dark brown hair that blew out behind her in the breeze. _Lucky bugger. _"Erm, she could wait in the Gallows courtyard while you see the Knight-Commander, I suppose. There's not a lot there, but there are a few stalls and merchants selling their wares. And it's away from this rabble."

"Are there any Tranquil in the courtyard?" asked the cloaked woman quietly.

"I – errr – well yes, of course. The mages live there as well. After all, it is the Circle." The woman nodded slightly, burying her face in the fur lining of her cloak. "Anyway, if you'll follow me this way messeres."

The couple followed the city guard through the crowds of people, Ferelden's like themselves, to a large courtyard, lying in the shadow of a large towering structure. Ivy hid her face in her cloak to hide her shock at what she saw. Large bronze statues of people, slaves, crying out in pain, shackled even in their inanimate state. Around every wall were spiked iron gates, presumably to keep the mages in when things went wrong. This Circle was nothing like the one in Ferelden. Sure, the Circle had been a pain in the arse, but it had never terrified her like the sight of this one had. This wasn't a Circle Tower. It was a prison.

They stopped in the courtyard where the guard explained that Ivy would have to wait here while he escorted Cullen to the Knight-Commander's office. Ivy nodded her understanding to the guard, who watched her curiously. Cullen kissed her on the cheek before he was escorted inside the Gallows, leaving Ivy all alone in the mage's prison.

She waited anxiously by a stone pillar, ignoring the tortured statue behind her, hoping the Knight-Commander wouldn't take too long. The courtyard wasn't busy, though that was more than likely due to the Knight-Commander keeping out Fereldens. There were people milling about, buying and selling their wares. Young Templars stood around chatting, while a few stood guard, clearly on duty. A few mages littered the courtyard as well, some normal, some Tranquil. Ivy turned away from them, unable to look at them. The prospect of becoming Tranquil had always terrified her and the sight of them only reminded her of that fear.

"I wish Fenris would lay off for just once. We _all _know how he feels about mages. He's made his views abundantly clear _many_ times. He doesn't need to remind us every five seconds. Maker, no wonder he and Carver get on so well!"

Ivy turned her head, recognising the sound of the voice. She searched the courtyard, but only caught the back of the person. Even from behind, she looked familiar. She was a mage – that much was obvious by the staff on her back – and apparently of some importance, judging by the group of people following behind her. She had blonde hair, a similar shade to Ivy's own, which was tied up out of the way in a bun and what looked like a flash of blue on her cheeks.

As quick as she'd come, the mage was gone, leaving Ivy wondering who in the Maker's name she was. She knew that voice, but from where...?

"Are you ready to go?" Cullen's voice snapped her out of her musings, making her jump slightly. "Is everything okay Ivy?"

She nodded, "I'm fine. This place just freaks me out, that's all. So…where now?"

"Well, the Knight-Commander said we can stay in the family quarters for now, but we may want to move elsewhere once I begin properly."

"That makes sense," said Ivy. She eyed Cullen warily, "What is it?"

He bit his lip, "There's a lot of Templars here. Far more then in Ferelden's Circle. If you want to leave, now is the time because I don't know if I can protect you from them all Ivy."

The mage smiled weakly at him. She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I'm not leaving. I'm staying here with you." Cullen blushed faintly, "Besides, I don't think leaving is an option anymore Cullen." She took his hand in hers and told him to lead the way.

It was obvious there were few families in the Order, the family wing of the Templar's quarters completely empty. While marriage was discouraged, it was not forbidden amongst the Order. Of course, those who did marry were few and far between as it complicated matters for the Templar. The quarters were similar to the mage's quarters in Ferelden: simply furnished, but practical, the wing consisting of a couple of rooms down furnished with a large bed, a wardrobe and dresser, a writing desk and chair, and little more.

Cullen stopped in front of one of the rooms and opened the door, holding it open for Ivy before following her inside. He placed their pack on the floor and looked around the room, acquainting himself with their new room.

"Hopefully we won't be here for too long. The Knight-Commander recommended I look for somewhere nearby to live. It's irregular, but luckily my new position will allow for it. It seems I may be doing far more work then I'm used to, and I have to say I am glad for it. It will keep my mind busy, which is just what I need right now."

He stopped talking, noticing Ivy had been quiet since he'd come back from seeing the Knight-Commander. "Ivy…?"

She smiled up at him, "Sorry. I was miles away. I thought I saw someone I knew earlier... Ahh, it's nothing. I must be going crazy, that's all." She kissed his cheek, "Well, more crazy."

A knock on the door stopped Cullen from pressing the topic further, despite wanting to. "Hi there," said the person at the door. _A Templar._ _Of course. Get used to seeing _lots_ of them Ivy. _"You settling in okay?"

"Yes thank you," said Cullen.

The Templar stepped into the room, "Good, good. You're Cullen, right? The new Knight-Captain? Weren't you meant to arrive last week?"

"Yes, but unfortunately a storm slowed us down on the way here."

"Well at least you're here now Knight-Captain," smiled the Templar. The woman next to him caught his attention, "And am I right in assuming that this is your wife?" He gestured towards to her with his hand, holding it out, almost in invitation.

"Erm, yes. This is – "

"Rose," Ivy took the Templar's hand, "pleased to meet you."

* * *

_I know, the name isn't original, but I don't think you'd be when choosing a new name for yourself. _


	2. Chapter 2

"You never said. How did you two meet?"

Cullen looked to Ivy behind his mug, trying not to let his worry show. They hadn't thought about this part of their story.

"In my bakery," said Ivy, dipping her bread into her soup. "He came in one day whilst off duty and then he just kept coming back. I jokingly said one day that he should just ask me to dinner if he was so fond of me so…he did." When she was done speaking she returned to her food, trying not to laugh at the bewildered look that was barely concealed on his face.

"Surely you were worried about him though during the Blight, in that tower with all those abominations and demons."

Her shoulders fell, "I was terrified. I didn't know if he was alive or dead. I thought those monsters had gotten to him and done… I'm sorry, I don't like thinking about it."

The woman beside her placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

Ivy smiled at the Templar beside her. "It's alright Ruvena. No harm done."

"Alright you slackers, lunch is over. Get back to work. Not you Cullen, Knight-Commander wants to see you. She's got something important for you today."

The Templars in the dining hall filed out, grumbling as they left. When they were nearly all gone Cullen stood up. "Duty calls. Will you be okay while I'm gone?"

"Of course I will be. I'm a grown woman. I can handle myself." She smiled reassuringly at him, hoping he believed her. She was still terrified, but she'd grown used to hiding behind false positivity to persuade people that everything was okay.

Cullen kissed the top of her head, "I know. Well, I'd better hurry. Can't keep her waiting."

And with that he was gone, leaving Ivy in the dining room all alone. She sighed, glad to be alone at last. While she didn't mind Cullen, it was nerve-racking being surrounded by Templars all the time again. She should be used to it, after all she had spent most of her life being surrounded by Order members in the Circle, but this was different. In the Circle she was controlling her abilities, here she was hiding them. One slip up and her cover was blown. One slip up and she wouldn't be living in the Gallows by choice.

She dashed to their room, the empty dining hall suddenly feeling ominously large. While their room was comfortable enough, it wasn't homely. She still felt like she was back in the Circle, in what would have been her mage's quarters had she not been recruited by Duncan. She silently thanked Duncan. If he had not been in the Circle that day she would surely be dead...or worse.

Remembering she hadn't gotten around to writing to a few people, Ivy sat down at the writing desk and found a few clean sheets of parchment and a quill. First, she wrote to the Grey Wardens, both in the Free Marches and in Weisshaupt, informing them that she had arrived safely in Kirkwall and would await further instruction from them. Next she wrote to Alistair, keeping her content cryptic, informing him that she had arrived and was safe thanks to her sister's help. She left it unnamed, but reluctantly used her Warden ring to seal it, knowing that was the only way it would reach the King.

Deciding to deliver them straight away, Ivy changed out of her simple dress into a blue gown, much more suitable for a 'Templar's wife', and grabbed her smaller cloak, realising that the fur cloak was too conspicuous for this hotter climate.

It was terrifying walking through the Gallows. Most of the Templars ignored her as she walked through, either not bothered by her or unsurprised by her presence after having already met her, but Ivy still felt like she was being watched. She shook the thought from her head and calmly left the barracks. She kept feeling like someone would stop her and shout _mage _or _it's the champion_, but no one did, much to her surprise. Her short burst of fame was just that, thanks to Leliana's makeover, and she wished she could just enjoy it and get on with her life. She just hoped no one would recognise her.

No one did. Ivy dropped off the letters in barely any time at all, leaving her with nothing to do. Deciding to explore her new home, Ivy boarded a carrier ship to Kirkwall's docks and set out on a much more dull adventure than she was used to.

Ivy quickly realised that Kirkwall was nothing like Ferelden at all. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the city had recently been forced to house so many Fereldens at short notice, but there seemed to be an abundance of beggars and whores in the streets. There was dirt everywhere, coating everything, even the people. The further she walked, the higher she went. There was less grime there and the beggars seemed to have almost disappeared, minus the few strays still littering the streets, but the air of pretension left her feeling just as unclean as the dirt did.

She managed to guess the names of the different parts of Kirkwall just by walking through them. Hightown was perhaps the most obvious, the concentration of snobs in finery increasing tenfold once she entered the district. Lowtown was just as blatant, the people there clearly the lower citizens of the city, the ones who could just about afford to keep their house and eat, but still reeked of desperation.

She didn't stay out in the city long, preferring ironically the quiet of the Gallows to the grime of Kirkwall's market district. Deciding to venture there again another time, preferably while wearing a thick pair of boots, Ivy returned to the docks and headed back to the Circle of Magi.

"Well you've come this far. You might as well share the good stuff if you're going to defy Meredith's orders."

It was that voice again, that familiar voice that she couldn't place, but knew so well. Ivy looked around the Gallows courtyard to find the source of the voice and found the blonde-haired mage and her companions talking to a small group of Templars about some of the missing recruits she had heard about. Ivy edged closer to them, sticking to the shadows of the courtyard.

From behind her pillar, Ivy couldn't quite see the mage fully, but she managed to confirm what she already knew. She was indeed a mage, her robes making that abundantly clear, as well as the wooden staff on her back. She had blonde hair tied loosely out of the way with swirling blue tattoos framing her cheeks, as well as on her forehead and chin. Ivy could also see now that the mage had glowing blue eyes and icy lips, as well as a purple tint to her cheeks, barely hidden by her tattoos.

It was like staring into a mirror. She looked exactly like Ivy, pre-transformation. Same hair, same eyes, same peculiar skin. She was a mage like her, seemed to have the same sort of attitude as her, and even seemed to have a band of misfits following her around. In fact the only noticeable difference were her tattoos, though they were most likely an attempt to make her odd colouring seem somewhat normal - or stand out more, depending on how you saw it.

The mage and her friends disappeared then, heading out of the Gallows and leaving Ivy reeling. _Why can I not remember who she is? Surely I know her. She looks _just_ like me for Andraste's sake! _Realising there was little she could do about it right now, she turned her back on her doppelgänger and returned to the Gallows.

* * *

Determined not to spend all her time in her room, Ivy wandered the Templars' quarters she had been told she could explore and watched them go about their day to day lives. It was strange watching the Templars work. They were nothing like how she remembered the Templars. She remembered armoured men who loomed over her, threatening her with random beatings and worse. But watching them work and train she began to realise those people were only the extreme, radical members of the Order. Most of them, like her 'husband', were normal men and woman who wanted to serve the Chantry and protect people.

* * *

Cullen didn't return to their room that night, nor the night after that. Ivy was beginning to get worried. Was this what it would be like, being with the man of her dreams? Out of habit Ivy pulled out her armour, stashed at the back of the wardrobe, and began polishing it for something to do. While she'd only worn it for a few months, she'd grown to like her Dragonskin armour. It made her feel normal, like she wasn't a mage, but instead a mighty warrior. While wearing it she felt near invincible, the sturdy plate completely alien compared to the flimsy robes mages were expected to wear. She'd always wondered if they made mages wear robes so they still had a weakness, but many mages were too weak to lift a sword, let alone wear heavy platemail.

She polished her breastplate until it shined, her face reflected back at her. Ivy still hadn't gotten used to her new appearance, her near-black hair and red lips as alien to her as her living without magic was. With Zevran and Leliana's help she had been completely transformed. It had been the bard's idea, which Zevran helped carry out. Under Leliana's guidance Zevran tattooed her lips a deep red, until the blue disappeared, and her cheeks and eyelids a pale pink, so the strange tones in her skin balanced out and looked a natural colour. Changing her hair had been much easier, although the burn left on her scalp had been surprisingly harder to get rid of then the strange sensation of new skin growing over her lips and eyelids. Such a strong concoction was necessary to make the dye last as long as possible, but it stung like a bitch for days.

Ivy threw the breastplate down with a clang, the strange woman before her too much to look at. It would take time to get used to her new appearance, let alone her new life.

Her fingers twitched restlessly by her side. This was the longest she had gone without magic and it was taking its toll on her. It was building up inside of her, threatening to seep out at any moment. She worried that it would reveal her to the Templars, that she would be living in a very different part of the Gallows if she wasn't careful. Cautiously, she released a tiny spark of lightning, lighting the room with a tremendous glow. _No. Not here. It's too dangerous here. _She extinguished the light in her hand, returning the room to darkness, and sighed.

"So let's see," mumbled Ivy to herself, "what do I have to do? Find out where Cullen is. Find out who that mage is. Find somewhere secluded to release some 'stress'. Maker I'm going to be busy." She counted the list on her fingers, her hand curling into a fist which she leaned on when she was done counting.

Exhausted, Ivy put away her armour then collapsed on the bed, waiting for sleep to take her.


	3. Chapter 3

Cullen still hadn't returned. No one would say where he was or what he was doing, but rumours were going around about missing initiates. Figuring that's where he was, Ivy decided to patiently await his return. If it was true then there was little she could do but wait it out.

Her new life was harder than she'd imagined. She knew what she was getting herself into. She knew from the start that she would be living in a city of Templars, hiding her abilities every day. But she didn't expect to be hiding them in her own home, not that she thought of the Gallows as her home, but it was the closest thing she had to it currently. Hiding her magic was harder than she thought as well. It was easier said than done to just stop using it. A mage can go without using magic in their day to day lives, instead only needing it in dire cases, but this was different. If she made one mistake she was done for and her cover would be blown.

She needed an outlet for her magic. Fast.

After breakfast Ivy donned her thick boots, a simple brown dress, and her fur cloak and once again took the carrier boat to Kirkwall. Ignoring the barrage of people around her she pushed past them until she found a road which appeared to lead towards the large looming mountain in the distance. _That should do nicely, _she thought. _Who in their right mind would venture up there? _

As it turned out, the Dalish would. The elves greeted her with nothing but suspicion – again – when she tried to pass through their camp. Sighing, Ivy played the only card she knew would work. "Please, I insist you take me to your Keeper."

"And just why would we do that shemlen?" spat one of the elves.

"Because I am a Grey Warden." The two elves in front of her stared at her for a second, trying to decipher if she was lying or not.

Eventually they spoke, "Very well then _Grey Warden_. Follow us."

She'd forgotten how unnerving it was to have a whole clan's eyes follow you as you walked through their camp. The first time it happened it had terrified her. As it turned out, it still did. It was the unblinking stare teamed with the judgemental look that did it, she had figured out. No matter where you looked it felt like you were being looked down on by them, like they were judging you just for breathing.

"Keeper, this woman says she is a Grey Warden."

"Ma serannas lethallan, I will see to our guest. You may return to your post." The elf bowed to the Keeper, then returned the way she came with her fellow elf, leaving Ivy alone with the Keeper. "Greetings Grey Warden. My name is Keeper Marethari. What can I do for you?"

Ivy bowed to the Keeper, "Greetings Keeper. I am the Grey Warden Ivy Amell. I came wandering these ways looking for a place to find solitude, but it appears I have stumbled into your clan's encampment instead. My apologies."

The Keeper's eyes widened slightly, "_The _Ivy Amell, vanquisher of the Blight?"

"Yeah, that's me," chuckled Ivy awkwardly, "Though I don't tend to introduce myself as such."

Marethari nodded her understanding. "You said you were looking for some solitude? Sundermount is indeed a place of solitude and isolation. We are one of the few living things you will find here."

"I'm sorry, _one _of the things here?" stammered Ivy.

"Well naturally there are other creatures living here as well, but I'm sure it's nothing you are incapable of handling Warden. Your skill is legendary after all."

"Right…I keep forgetting I'm famous." She cleared her throat, "So anyway, I guess right now I'm asking for your permission to pass through camp whenever I need to access the mountain paths. And maybe trade with your craftsman as well."

Marethari smiled, "Of course child. You are more than welcome to do so."

"Ma serannas Keeper." Ivy turned to head up the mountain. "Oh, one little thing," she turned back to address the Keeper, "if by chance anyone comes looking for me – you know, other shemlens – could you…not say I was here please?"

The Keeper eyed her questioningly for a moment before slowly nodding. "Ma nuvenin Grey Warden."

After thanking her again Ivy headed up the path leading up the mountain. She encountered little trouble on the way up, the spiders and dragonlings easy enough to pick off with a few well-chosen spells. After climbing over a few boulders she found the perfect spot: near the top of the mountain so snow wouldn't look out of place, and high enough up that no one should notice her anyway. A line of trees and hedges surrounded the area, forming a clearing in the middle, perfect to stand in the middle of and fire off some spells.

Checking the coast was clear, Ivy hesitantly pointed at a nearby bush. A small smile graced her lips as its leaves turned to ice, the plant looking more like an ice sculpture than a living thing. Her smile grew as she waved her hands towards a cluster of trees, each one instantly freezing. She danced around the clearing, weaving her magic and building a winter wonderland of ice and snow. It felt good to unleash her magic again, the icy tingle in her fingertips as easy and familiar as breathing, but she had so much more to give. With a few simple words and a wave of her hands a blizzard began blowing all around her. It started around her, circling her body like a tornado made of snow, and grew rapidly, expanding, ensnaring more and more of the mountain in its icy grip.

When the blizzard finally died down Ivy stood in the centre of the snow panting, a grin plastered on her face. Everything as far as she could see was either frozen or covered in snow, apart from the small patch of grass she was stood on, which somehow remained untouched. Ivy began laughing hysterically at the sight, amazed at how quickly she had transformed this forest clearing into a winter paradise…in the middle of summer.

It felt so good to use her magic again. She hadn't noticed until now that it had settled on her shoulders like a giant worry, sitting there undealt with, neither craving attention nor resolving itself. She felt lighter, freer, happier.

She sighed contently and stretched, the endorphins rushing through her blood making her grin happily. _Maker I needed this. _

Ivy lingered on Sundermount for a while longer before winding back down the mountain, towards the Dalish camp. Keeper Marethari was waiting for her as she left the mountain. "Grey Warden, you return. I was beginning to get worried. There appeared to be a huge blizzard blowing about on the mountain. I hope you weren't caught in it." She smiled faintly, knowingly, the unmelted snow in the woman's hair a tell-tale give away to those who knew what to look for.

"Oh no, I'm perfectly fine, thank you," smiled Ivy, playing along with the Keeper's game. "Well, I must return. It will be dark soon enough and I don't want to get caught out here after dark all alone."

"I'm sure the group of humans would allow you to camp with them for the night. I don't think they have reached the city yet," said the Keeper.

Ivy looked at her puzzled, "What group of humans?"

"A woman by the name of Hawke and her companions: her brother, a scantily clad woman, and a red-haired woman. They were performing a task up Sundermount with my First, Merrill. They passed back through here not long ago, so I doubt they have reached the city yet."

_Hawke…So that's her name. _

Ivy nodded her understanding to the Keeper, "Ma serranas Keeper. I should be on my way."

"Of course Warden. Another time then."

They bowed respectfully to each other before Ivy turned and left the way she'd came. She walked at a brisk pace, wanting to try and reach Kirkwall before night fell.

She reached the city's outskirts just after sundown. She was suddenly very glad that she did not have to enter then main part of the city. Given how many thieves and prostitutes lined the streets during the day, she expected the streets to be riddled with gangs and thugs at night. It was a sad, but common occurrence in cities, and Kirkwall would undoubtedly be no exception to this.

"Oh thank the Maker! You're back."

Cullen's voice surprised her as she opened the door to their room.

"Rose, where did you get to? You shouldn't be out there after dark, not alone." He strode to meet her and glanced out of the room before he shut the door, pulling her into his arms as soon as it was shut. "I was so worried when I didn't find you here. No one knew where you'd wandered off to. I thought…"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't exactly leave a note. I was up Sundermount releasing some…stress." She leaned into his arms, inhaling his scent. It had been over a week since he had left and Maker had she missed him.

He pulled back and look at her, "Please tell me aren't the cause of that blizzard on the mountain." When she said nothing he said, "Ivy…"

"You said not to tell you."

He huffed in frustration, "Are you trying to get caught? You know people could see that blizzard from the city right? It was _that_ big."

"Look, maybe because you're not a mage you don't understand, but I can't just give up magic cold turkey. It builds up if I don't use it. It was beginning to get dangerous, so I went up the mountain to release all that pent up magic and hope no one would notice. I didn't realise it had gotten so bad, but if I'd have waited any longer it might have unleashed while I'm surrounded by Templars and then I'm no longer living here by my own freewill and you're fired, at the very least, for fraternising with a mage."

They stood staring at each other, neither one backing down. They were both at fault in some way and they knew it.

Eventually Cullen sighed. "This is not how I planned this evening. I wanted to surprise you since I've been gone so long." He indicated to their bed behind them, which was surrounded by an assortment of candles and rose petals. On the night table was a bunch of flowers of varying shades of pink and purple.

Ivy smiled sadly at him and reached up to cradle his cheek. "I really missed you this week. It's been very lonely here all by myself."

"I know, I've just been so busy with my work." He took Ivy's hand and led her to the tiny sofa against the far wall. They curled up on it together, the mage's legs wrapped over his, Cullen's arm around her shoulders. "I didn't expect it to take so long, in fact I'd probably still be out working if it wasn't for Hawke interfering."

_Hawke. There's that name again. _

"But enough about work, tonight is our time." He kissed her briefly before reaching beneath him and extracting a bottle of wine and two glasses. "I haven't seen nearly enough of you since we've been here. The mages here aren't happy, which means I have a lot of work to do. It may do you good to find work somewhere to occupy your days. And so you have a reason to be leaving the Halls every day."

Ivy took a glass from her Templar and held it out for him to fill. She sipped at the wine, savouring the taste, before speaking. "I know, but from seeing the state of things here that will be easier said than done." Cullen gave her a surprised look, "What, you think I'd stay cooped up in here all week waiting for you? You know me better than that Cullen. I simply…went for a look around my new home."

"Well," Cullen took a swig of his own drink, "I think I may have found us somewhere better to live. In between work I've been scouting around, seeing what I can find, and obviously if it would still allow me easy access to work should I be needed for an emergency. I'm going to check it out again tomorrow afternoon if you want to come with me."

"Of course I'll come with you." She smiled and raised her glass to him before taking a deep swig and finishing her glass. "So, tell me about this 'Hawke' woman. She must be pretty impressive if she saved your sorry ass."

He chuckled, "You know, she really was. She reminded me a hell of a lot like you, and not just because she, as you so eloquently put it, saved my sorry ass. She looks like you, well, the normal you. It's eerie. It was like she was your twin or something."

"Well I'm pretty sure I don't have a twin, but I know who you're on about. I've seen her too. I feel like I know her, but I don't know why." She shook her head, confused, and held out her glass for Cullen to refill. "Maybe I'll look into it…"

"Ivy…"

"What? I have nothing better to do right now and I'm curious as to who she is. It's not every day you find your very own doppelgänger."

Cullen sighed, knowing protesting would be useless. If there was one thing he'd learned it was that Ivy was a stubborn woman at the best of times, which meant arguing with her was usually pointless. Besides, it would give her something to do. Things were busy at the moment in the Order. There were rumours that mages were stealing people off the streets and planting demons inside of them. But that was impossible…wasn't it?

He pushed the thought out of his mind. _Tonight is about us, not work. _

They spent the next few hours simply talking and drinking and laughing, the two of them content to be in one another's company again. There had been far too few moments like this in their lives. Heck, neither one of them could recall any moment like this in their entire lives. A few moments had come close during Ivy's time travelling and fighting the Blight, but there had always been the niggling reminder at the back of her mind that she could die at any time.

She fell asleep before Cullen could proceed to the next part of their night, the mage too drunk to stay awake. With a sigh he scooped her up in his arms and placed her gently in bed, climbed in beside her and pulled the covers up over them.

_Looks like it'll have to wait then. Tomorrow. I'll ask her tomorrow. _

Trying not to jostle the woman beside him, Cullen leaned out of the bed and blew out the nearby candles, then draped his arm over Ivy's middle and drifted to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**So I finally managed to push past my writer's block on this story and finish this chapter. I did intend for it to be longer, but I felt like it ended well where I ended it. **_

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When Ivy awoke her head was pounding like there was an ogre inside her head. Groaning she rubbed her hand on her temple and instinctively sent healing magic through her forehead, erasing the worst of her hangover. Suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist and her magic fizzled away into nothing.

"Are you crazy?" snarled a groggy voice.

Ivy blinked a few times at its owner, her vision still blurry from sleep. She looked at her hand in Cullen's grip and gasped, "Shit. Sorry, force of habit. I didn't mean to…"

"I know, but you need to get out of that habit."

She groaned, wishing Cullen had at least let her finish the job so his voice didn't grate so much. It was too early for a lecture on her magic use, not that she would listen if she wasn't hung over. "I am well aware of that fact thank you. However, until I find a better, non-magical cure, I'm gonna stick to doing this." Remembering she still had a hand free she pressed her fingers to her temple and sent a small amount of magic through her forehead again, her headache finally dulling.

She quickly found her other hand in Cullen's grip, the Templar pinning her wrists above her head and settling his weight above her.

"There are other ways to cure hangovers you know." He smirked wickedly, knowing full well she would like his idea. It had been too long - in their minds anyway - since they had had some real alone time, let alone any 'private' time.r

Her eyes brightened, her interest suddenly peaked and her hangover forgotten about. "Oh? Like what?" She grinned expectantly at him, her rouge lips turned up in a wicked smile.

"I think you know exactly what I mean." His free hand began snaking down her body and traced along the line of her hips. He chuckled when her hips rose to meet his hand. "Although first we need to remove these annoying clothes of yours."

Ivy looked down and saw that she was indeed still fully dressed, only missing her shoes and cloak, which she'd taken off herself the night before. "You could have at least pulled _something_ off me when I passed out."

He released her hands and travelled down her body, his hands pushing up the material of her dress. She watched eagerly as his fingers hooked over her knickers and shimmied the garment down and off her legs.

It wasn't long before Ivy's hands were fisting the bedding and pushing his head closer to her core, his mouth on her heat pure bliss. His clothing quickly fell to the floor, as did her dress, and he re-joined her on the bed, her hands grasping desperately at his broad shoulders, eager to feel his body against hers. A cold chill radiated from her fingertips. The two of them stared at her hands, which were already trying to freeze Cullen's shoulders. Ivy nodded to the Templar, who placed a hand over hers and Silenced her, instantly stopping the chill.

They spent the next hour or so reacquainting themselves with one another, their hands and mouths exploring the expanses of flesh and muscle before them. After a while Ivy's magic returned, her hands leaving icy tracks across Cullen's back. He quickly drained her mana again, just to be safe, then flipped her onto her stomach so she couldn't reach his back. While he didn't mind her cold touch, it was especially powerful that morning and he fancied a break from it to warm up.

When they were both sated they collapsed on the bed in each other's arms.

"Your stamina's improved," noted Ivy, "I barely had to give you a helping hand or anything."

Cullen smirked, "Meredith has us on a strict regime here. I've already got a lot stronger while we've been here."

"I noticed." Her fingertips traced the lines of his biceps, a grin on her face. _Oh I definitely noticed. _"So...on a scale of one to fucked up, how weird is all of…this for you? You know, 'cause I look nothing like me."

Cullen pulled her closer to him. He had wondered how long it would take for this question to come up. "Ivy, I fell in love with you, not your looks. Sure, it's still kinda strange looking at you and not seeing…you, but your eyes still tell me you're there, and that's all I need to know."

"So then…say, if you had the chance to be with the old me again, would you?" She hid against his chest, dreading his answer. A silly, irrational part of her brain had been niggling away the longer he'd been gone, and then he'd said that _she'd_ saved him. She knew she was just being silly, but she had to be sure.

"Ivy, please tell me you don't think I'm going to run off with Hawke? Just because she looks like you it does not mean I like her. It is you I love and it is you who is here with me, in my arms, and I wouldn't change that for the world. Now, are we done with all this nonsense?"

She nodded against his chest, "Yep. Silly moment over. Now, if we can just return to the steamy bits that'd be great."

Cullen chuckled and shook his head softly as he lifted her chin from his chest. "Later love. Right now we need to get clean and get dressed. We have that house to look at remember."

"Oh yeah," she grinned up at him. She pecked him on the lips before jumping out of bed and heading to the wash basin. When they eventually managed to keep their hands off one another long enough to wash and dress, they swiped some left over bread rolls from the dining hall and left the Gallows..

It almost felt wrong walking in public with Cullen. She'd spent her entire life being reminded that Templars were there to keep mages under control, that the two should never ever mingle. And yet, here she was strolling through Hightown, hand in hand with her Templar. He seemed to be respected amongst the City Guard and the nobility, every other person stopping to greet him as they passed, the odd noble commenting on how lovely his wife was and asking what brought them to Hightown. He answered them all amicably, kindly moving the conversation on so they could carry on to their destination.

A middle-aged man greeted them when he saw the Templar approach. "Knight-Captain Cullen, it's good to see you again. And this must be your wife you were telling me about. Pleasure to meet you serah. Shall we take a look inside?"

The house was huge. Not quite as big as Arl Eamon's Denerim estate had been, but still impressive. It had three bedrooms, not that they needed that many, a library, a study, a massive kitchen with dining room attached and so much more. She let Cullen do most of the talking, after all it was him who was working here, nor her.

"You know, we've had a few Templars in the past wanting to move out of the Gallows. This house used to belong to one of those men. He had a family of his own so didn't want them to live where he worked. That's why…" he opened up a trapdoor in the wine cellar, "he lived here. Through this trapdoor is a series of tunnels which leads under the city to the Gallows. It's not a long walk, so whenever duty called he could rush off through here, as can you."

"So do all the houses in Hightown have trapdoors like this that lead to the Gallows?" asked Ivy.

"No, just this one, to my knowledge. Most of them didn't have them, and the rest got blocked up by their owners since they had no use for them."

He finished the tour of the house, then after a quick discussion with his 'wife' Cullen began discussing buying the house. He gave the couple a questioning look when the topic of cost came up, but the two of them simply handed him a bag full of sovereigns and said, "That's enough isn't it?" The man stared at it in disbelief before handing over the keys to Cullen and shaking his hand.

He left soon after, clearly eager to get his large amount of gold somewhere safe, leaving Ivy and Cullen alone in their new home.

"You know," said Ivy, "If you'd have told me a year ago that I'd have hung up my uniform and be living with the man I've only really had in my dreams, I would have told you you're madder than a dwarven berserker."

"Well, last time I checked this is all real love." He wrapped his arms around her and sighed happily, "Yep. Definitely real. You never feel this good in the Fade."

They stood like that for a while, neither one feeling the need to move, both content to stay there in each other's arms. Eventually the need to sit down caught up with them and they found themselves in their new living room, sat on a plush red leather sofa.

Cullen played with Ivy's fingers, "You know, we could move in here tomorrow. Meredith already knows I've been looking for somewhere to live and I told her when I reported back to her that I thought I'd found somewhere. We should be able to collect our belongings and move them here in the morning."

She beamed happily at him. "Thank the Maker! I don't think I would have lasted much longer in there Cullen, I really don't."

"I know. Thank you."

"For what?" she asked puzzled.

"For everything. For coming with me to Kirkwall, despite knowing its reputation for its treatment of mages. For living with me in a building quite literally full of Templars. For…well, I guess for choosing to love me and not someone else."

Ivy placed her hands on either side of his face and stared into his eyes. "Cullen…"

"I had planned to do this differently, but now is as good a time as any I suppose." He rummaged around inside his jacket and pulled out a small velvet box. "Ivy, I don't want you to be my _pretend_ wife anymore. I want you to be my real wife. So for the second time I am asking you, will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

He waited with baited breath as she processed his words. He felt her hands on his cheeks begin to tremble and her wide eyes began watering, though from joy or sorrow he did not know. Finally she answered him.

"Yes."


End file.
